“Nina.”

Prising her eyes open, Nina looked to the end of her bed to find that Aline was sitting by her feet with a wry smile on her face. Any hangover that she might have had from the previous night seemed to be long gone, and the fact left Nina rather jealous. Her own head felt as though there were a few too many marbles bouncing around inside of it, and it was already taking most of her willpower to keep her eyes open instead of just returning to her dreams. Aline wouldn’t be waking her for no reason though, and right now Nina could only think of one reason that would qualify.

“They’re back,” Aline said once she saw that Nina was awake, confirming her suspicions. “Get yourself cleaned up and ready to move out, they’ve found a way in.”

After watching Aline slip back out into the hall, Nina struggled with a yawn before off pushing the covers. She’d have to dawdle a little if she wanted to make herself even slightly presentable, but before anything else she needed to wash away what lingered from the previous night. Throwing a towel over her shoulder, she winced at the cold air as she eased out into the hall. It wasn’t even that bad if she was being realistic, but anything besides being underneath her blanket was a clear downgrade as far as she was concerned. Marching from the warmth of her bed to the warmth of the shower as quickly as possible, she bounced down the hall before stepping into the bathroom. Flinging her clothes to the floor as soon as the water had reached a satisfactory temperature, she jumped into her next comfort zone without ceremony.

Sighing at the warmth of the water, she steadied herself by placing a hand against the wall. Cobwebs from last night still stubbornly clouded her mind, and the fact that she hadn’t really had the time to wake up yet didn’t help her balance either. Eventually, she decided to sit down. The cold tiles against her back warmed up quickly, and after wrapping her arms around her knees she simply closed her eyes. The heavy water that beat upon her neck and shoulders was actually quite therapeutic, and the small smile that appeared on her lips as a result was genuine. If she didn’t have to be downstairs to meet with Reina as soon as possible, it would probably have been difficult to move her from this spot at all.

Last night had been her first chance in a while to push recent events to the back of her mind. It was short lived, but it had at least served as an opportunity for her to recharge before their final push towards Caecus. Jade and Aline had both been social, and the pair were also good at making her feel included. Nobody wanted to feel like a third wheel, and Nina was thankful for them as she couldn’t see herself fitting in better elsewhere. Reina, Svanda, and Trim were almost like an entity themselves, while Saela was out of the question. She knew that she would never completely integrate with the duo, but for now she was content with what she had. Learning more about the people around her was only the first step of many, and in turn they would learn more about her too.

Her thoughts continued to wander. Jade and Aline reminded her of Hala and Cross, not only because both pairs seemed so close, but also because of their attitudes. Jade and Cross were both free-spirited, and they often required Aline or Hala to bring them back down a little when they stepped too far. They did, however, both seem to enjoy that sense of recklessness that their respective partners provided whether they would admit to it or not. They were, after all, fun to be around.

One day it would be her turn, she thought. Whether that was in either the near or distant future she didn’t know, but she wasn’t in a rush by any means either. There were much bigger fish to fry right now, and stepping out of the shower would be the first step to addressing them. It was regrettable, but her time in the warm water had to end after she gave herself a quick scrub. Throwing the towel around herself after shutting the water off, she stepped out of the bathroom before dancing down the hall so that she could clothe herself as quickly as possible.

Business as usual, she threw her blue jacket over a white shirt before pulling on her maroon pants, carefully adjusting her damp hair in the mirror. Makeup would have been a lifesaver right now, but to her chagrin, she didn’t have any. Thinking that she would have to ask Jade or Aline if she could borrow some before they set off for the Westworks, she picked up her boots as she exited her room before heading downstairs. She wasn’t ready for it, but it would have to do. Reina wasn’t someone that she wanted to keep waiting, especially when she felt partly responsible for the entire mess in the first place.

“You look tired,” Reina said as soon as Nina touched down in the living room. Seated on the couch with one leg crossed over the other and a smile on her face, Nina’s boss didn’t show any signs of weariness that she had been half expecting. Seeing that attention flicked to the laptop which sat on Trim’s thighs beside her, Nina stood there as Reina’s gaze paused for a second before returning to her, a hand extending as she motioned towards the second sofa.

“Where’s Svanda?” Nina asked as she sat on the sofa, taking the opportunity to quickly scan the room. Aline sat on the other side of Trim, while Saela was surprisingly already seated at the dining table. It hadn’t taken Nina long to notice that Svanda was missing, she’d been looking out for her after all. Jade and Aline had spent so long hyping up how drained she usually looked upon return that Nina couldn’t help but be curious. Speaking of drained, Jade wasn’t around yet either. She had been a lot less responsible than Aline with the ale last night, and so Nina’s conclusion wasn’t hard to reach. If she was feeling better than Nina was, she’d be disappointed. It wasn’t something that should be wished on anybody, but anything to deflect Reina’s attention from her rather lacklustre state right now would certainly be more than welcome.

“Getting her things together,” Reina replied before nodding in the direction of an envelope that sat on the coffee table before her. “We got what we needed so we can head off soon. We’ll stop back here on the way back so don’t worry about leaving things behind, but I do need you to be armed.”

Nina shrugged at the request before leaning back, closing her eyes in the process. Being tired was a feasible conclusion for Reina to come to if she played her cards right, and it would be better than her concluding that she had a hangover. Aline somehow looked as though she’d had an early night last night, and Nina was already regretting her decision to keep up with Jade at the restaurant. No use crying over spilt milk, however, and hopefully Reina would simply let things slide.

“Morning,” Jade said as she appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Nina opened her eyes just enough to see her partner in crime from the previous night slinking across the living room floor, but once she realised that there wasn’t any space to sit next to Aline, she changed her destination. Flopping down beside Nina before she had the opportunity to protest, Jade’s head quickly found purchase on her shoulder as the room’s latest addition sprawled out over the remainder of the sofa.

Stifling a sigh, Nina glanced over to Reina where she saw a knowing smile spread across her lips. Busted, apparently, although it probably wasn’t as bad as the time she had been out with Hala and Cross. She hadn’t officially been on board at the time which did count for something, but she was also comforted by the fact that this time she wasn’t the only guilty party. Jade might have sunk her, but she was also technically her senior. It was a poor defence and she knew it, but Reina’s amused expression was thankfully giving her the impression that there was nothing to be feared. It was Aline if anyone that looked unimpressed, although it was probably more akin to mild disappointment. Whether it was because she knew she had just been implicated by association or because Jade hadn’t managed to keep it together, Nina didn’t know.

“At least the ride over will be smooth,” Reina eventually said with a smirk, her ears pricking up as Svanda’s heavy footsteps appeared on the stairs. “Alright. If you’ve got everything, let’s go. The usual trains aren’t running, but this here should be able to get us on board a private shuttle. I’ll discuss the rest of the plan on the way over.”

Swiping the envelope off the table, Reina marched for the stairs. Trim, Saela, and even Aline fell in behind her in an orderly manner, but Nina found herself pausing. She’d probably get to see it in the car anyway, but waiting was something that she just couldn’t do. There was too much secrecy about what went on at the Daerx Clan, and this was about to be her first taste of even just a fraction of an answer. It would probably raise even more questions that Nina would never find answers for, but that was something she was prepared to deal with. What, in the end, was so bad?

“Hey,” Svanda said as she stepped into the living room, a weak smile on her face. Without waiting for a reply, she immediately moved towards the second set of stairs, stepping down and out of Nina’s vision as she made her way to the street.

Pulling Jade up and off the sofa, a frown appeared on Nina’s face as she recalled Svanda’s expression.

Maybe what everyone had been saying wasn’t too farfetched after all.